Clothes hanger

ABSTRACT

A plastic clothes hanger with two hollow arms which taper toward their tips.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Joachim liehenke 5 CL A4 51/08Hameln, Weser; ISOI Field of Search. 1 223/85, 88, Herbert Seckelmann.Wahlen; Max 91, 98 Hubner, Kaufbeuren-Neugablonz, all of, Germany [56]References Cited [21] A ppl No 791,747 UNITED STATES PATENTS I Filed16,1969 D1 15,918 8/1939 Fewster 223/92UX [451 Paimed 3 1,828,975 101931 Magarian 223 88 [73] Asslgnees Slnram & Wendt, HessischesKunststoff 2,052,085 3/1936 Dewaide" 223/88 Werke & 2,309,421 1/1943Tillery 223/88 flameln/wesew Germany; 2,716,513 8/1955 Braunstein 223/94Kuhn" 2,828,899 4/1958 Zuckerman 223/98 Kauibeuren-Neugablonz, Germany[32] Priority Jan. 25, 1968 Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin 33 Gel-manyAssistant Examiner-George H. Krizmanich 3 5 3 10 At!0rneyMichael S.Striker [S4] CLOTHES HANGER 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

52 US. c1 223/88 ABSTRACT: A plastic clothes hanger with two hollow armswhich taper toward their tips.

PATENTED JUN 1 1971 f/IE/r ATTORNEY CLOTHES HANGER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to clothes hangers, and moreparticularly to'improvements in nonreversible clothes hangers whichconsist of synthetic plastic material.

The arms of certain conventional clothes hangers have the shape of acylinder cut in half along its axis. The ends of the arms are bent fromthe general plane of the clothes hanger so that the tips of such armsleave unsightly marks on garments which are suspended thereon,especially if the garments are tightly packed on a clothesrack. Suchmarks are particularly undesirable when the clothes hangers are used ina store. Furthermore, the just-mentioned conventional clothes hangersoccupy too much room in a closet or on a display rack.

V SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the presentinvention to overcome the disadvantages of conventional clothes hangersand to provide a clothes hanger which produces no pressure marks onsuspended clothes, no matter how tightly they are packed next to eachother.

Another object is to provide a compact clothes hanger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes hanger whichcan be produced at low cost.

The invention resides in the provision of a clothes hanger whichcomprises two mirror symmetrical hollow arms each of which includes twowalls having edges at least one of which curves to a point locatedinwardly of the tip of the respective arm and meets the other edge inthe region of such point. The walls of each arm preferably meet and forma bottom wall which extends from the aforementioned point to the tip ofthe respective arm.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theimproved clothes hanger itself, however, both as to its construction andthe mode of utilizing the same, together with additional features andadvantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of thefollowing detailed description of certain specific embodiments withreference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevationalview of a clothes hanger which embodies one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line Il-llof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a second clothes hanger;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a third clothes hanger;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen in the direction ofarrows from the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from theline VI-VI of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a fourth clothes hanger taken on a sectionline similar to line VI-VI but in the hanger of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a fifth clothes hanger taken on a sectionline similar to line VI-Vl but on the hanger of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a clotheshanger l which is suspended on a rotatably attached hook 2 and has twoarms 3 (only one shown) extending in opposite directions from the centerof the clothes hanger. The arms 3 are hollow and each thereof has anopen side or slit which extends from its inner end toward and close toits outer end or tip 10. Each arm 3 further comprises two sidewalls 8and 9 which flank a pocket 7 and meet at the tip 10 of the respectivearm 3 to form a substantially horizontal web or bottom wall 1 l whichextends from the tip 10 toward a point 6 located inwardly of such tip,i.e., at the outer end of the respective open side of the arm 3. Thewalls 8, 9 have elongated edges 4, 5 the outer portions of which curvetoward the point 6 and meet at such point, namely, at the inner end ofthe respective bottom wall 11. FIG. I shows that the arms 3 taper (i.e.,that their width decreases) in a direction from the tip 10 toward thepoint 6. The thickness of the walls 8, 9 is indicated by a dashed lineB3. A hook l4, integral with the web II in the region of the point 6,extends toward the tip 10. FIG. 2 shows that portions of the walls 8, 9are parallel to each other and that their outer ends are rounded to formthe bottom wall 11.

The clothes hanger of FIG. 3 has two hooks l6 and 17 attached in tandemto the bottom wall 11 at the outer end of the pocket 7 so that it cansupport a plurality of articles, such as skirts.

FIG. 4 shows that the outermost part of the arm merges into a horizontalcrossbar 20. The edges 4 and 5 merge into the upper portion 19 of thecrossbar 20, and the web merges into the lower portion 22 of thecrossbar. In this embodiment the lower part of the pocket 7 is flankedby the bottom wall and by an extension 21 thereof, leading to the upperportion of the crossbar 20.

FIG. 5 shows the shape of the pocket 7 in the arm 3, with substantiallyparallel sidewalls 8 and 9 which curve increasingly toward each other atthe end where the crossbar 20 is attached. FIG. 6, 7 and 8 illustratevarious locations where the crossbar 20 may be placed at the respectiveends of the arms. In FIG. 6 it is shown at the center, in FIG. 7 it isshowndisplaced in one direction relative to the center, and in FIG. 8 itis shown displaced in the opposite direction relative to the center. Thepocket 7 may be enclosed from all sides. This further increases thestability of the arms and reduces the likelihood of damage to suspendedgarments.

All embodiments of the improved clothes hanger share the advantage ofreducing the likelihood of damage. The invention provides for theplacing of the relatively sharp hanger edges to an area where there iseither no significant pressure from adjacent hangers, or where suchpressure, if any, does not affect the suspended clothing. The pocketssubstantially increase the structural rigidity and stability and furthercontribute to an advantageous distribution of contact and pressureforces. The hooks are attached so that they are not likely to connectwith and catch on to clothes on the respective hangers; because of thestability of the hangers, and their resistance to warping, the hooks cansupport without difficulty, the weight of the clothes that are to besuspended thereon. The crossbar which, according to a preferredembodiment, is joined to the lower wall of the pocket also contributesto the stability of the hanger and serves as a support for trousers orthe like, and further makes it possible to give the hanger an even morefavorable contour.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofclothes hangers differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied inclothes hangers, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown,since various modifications and structural changes may be made withoutdeparting in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What we claim as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.

I. A clothes hanger, comprising a pair of arms diverging downwardly andoutwardly away from one another and each having a free tip, each of saidarms being constituted by a continuous strip portion of sheet materialhaving at least in the region of said free tip two transversely spacedlongitudinally extending sidewalls and a bottom wall between saidsidewalls extending from said free tip inwardly to a point spaced fromsaid free tip so as to form together with said sidewalls a pocketextending from said free tip to said spaced point.

2. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1, wherein the respectivepockets are enclosed at least from three sides.

3. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1, wherein portions of saidsidewalls on each of said arms are substantially parallel to each other.

4. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1, further comprising at leastone hook provided on each of said arms, each of said hooks extendingfrom said point toward but short of the free tip of the respective arm.

5. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1, further comprising a pair ofhooks each rigid with one of said arms adjacent to the respective point.

6. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1, further comprising a crossbarattached to said arms and extending between said points.

7. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 6, wherein said crossbar has anupper portion and said sidewalls merge into said upper portion of saidcrossbar.

8 A clothes hanger as defined in claim 6, wherein said crossbar has alower portion, and wherein the respective bottom walls merge into saidlower portion at the respective ends of said crossbar.

1. A clothes hanger, comprising a pair of arms diverging downwardly andoutwardly away from one another and each having a free tip, each of saidarms being constituted by a continuous strip portion of sheet materialhaving at least in the region of said free tip two transversely spacedlongitudinally extending sidewalls and a bottom wall between saidsidewalls extending from said free tip inwardly to a point spaced fromsaid free tip so as to form together with said sidewalls a pocketextending from said free tip to said spaced point.
 2. A clothes hangeras defined in claim 1, wherein the respective pockets are enclosed atleast from three sides.
 3. A clothes hanger as defined in claim 1,wherein portions of said sidewalls on each of said arms aresubstantially parallel to each other.
 4. A clothes hanger as defined inclaim 1, further comprising at least one hook provided on each of saidarms, each of said hooks extending from said point toward but short ofthe free tip of the respective arm.
 5. A clothes hanger as defined inclaim 1, further comprising a pair of hooks each rigid with one of saidarms adjacent to the respective point.
 6. A clothes hanger as defined inclaim 1, further comprising a crossbar attached to said arms andextending between said points.
 7. A clothes hanger as defined in claim6, wherein said crossbar has an upper portion and said sidewalls mergeinto said upper portion of said crossbar.
 8. A clothes hanger as definedin claim 6, wherein said crossbar has a lower portion, and wherein therespective bottom walls merge into said lower portion at the respectiveends of said crossbar.